Given Name
by Phoenix Phyre
Summary: Tomonori/Tsukasa, get-together sap. Tsukasa wonders where his name comes from.


Ridiculous sap, get-together fic. I couldn't resist this plot bunny, being a Latin student...

* * *

Quick Gloss:

"Hai" = "yes"

"Sou desu ne" = "I see"

"Shirimasen" = "I don't know"

"Hontou ni" = "Really?"

"mo" = "too"

* * *

"Amou-kun?"

"Hai, Kirihara-san?"

"Where did you get your name?"

"Eh? Oh… Tomonori-san gave it to me."

"Sou desu ne… Why didn't he give you his own surname?"

"…Shirimasen…"

Tomonori was settled comfortably on the couch, reading his Bible. Tsukasa poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Tomonori-san? Would you like some tea?"

Tomonori glanced up at him with a small smile. "Yes, thank you, Tsukasa."

A few minutes later Tsukasa came padding over with two steaming mugs.

"Be careful; it's hot," warned Tsukasa, handing him one of them.

Delicately Tomonori took the mug with both hands and breathed in the steam. "Mmm… Thank you."

Tsukasa sat beside him and pulled his knees to his chest, balancing his mug on one of them.

"Tomonori-san?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you choose my name?"

Smiling, the priest replied, "What took you so long?"

Tsukasa flushed. "I guess… I never really thought about it before."

Tomonori took a sip of his tea before answering slowly. "When my parents were killed, my mother was expecting another child. She knew it would be a boy; she named him Tsukasa. In the mornings I would lay my ear against her belly and listen for the baby's heartbeat. My mother always said, 'Tsukasa will be born in the spring, when the sunshine smiles away the rain.'" Affectionately he brushed his palm over Tsukasa's head. "When I found you, it had been raining for the whole week. The day you woke up, the sun came out, and you smiled at me."

Tsukasa smiled. "I remember."

"So I named you after the brother I never knew, in the hopes that you would be my new family."

"Did I live up to your expectations?" asked Tsukasa.

"You have far exceeded them," Tomonori replied warmly.

Flushing now with pleasure, he continued, "And my surname? Why didn't you give me yours?"

"Well, despite naming you after my brother, I didn't want us to share a surname because that would lead to awkward questions and misunderstandings. So I gave you a surname that reflected my hopes for you."

Tsukasa looked up at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"When I found you, you were badly wounded and seemed abandoned. I didn't know what your personality would be like, but I was afraid that because of the circumstances and your memory loss that you might be bitter. I hoped that you would not hate, but love."

"I don't understand."

"The word 'amo' in Latin means 'I love'."

Tsukasa's eyes widened. "Hontou ni?"

"Aa." Tomonori smiled gently. "I think I named you correctly."

Tsukasa hid his embarrassed but pleased smile behind his mug. They finished their tea in companionable silence.

"Tomonori-san?" Tsukasa began tentatively. "How do you say 'I love you' in Latin?"

Tomonori blinked. "Amo te."

"Amo te, Tomonori-san." To his dismay, Tsukasa felt his face heat with a spectacular blush.

Had Tsukasa not been glowing like the setting sun, Tomonori would have brushed it off as familial love. Instead, he found himself staring in shock.

Fast losing his nerve, Tsukasa ducked his head, regretting his boldness. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said anything, don't hate me please…"

"Tsukasa." Tomonori winced when his voice cracked. Gently he caught the blonde's trembling hands. "Tsukasa, look at me. I don't hate you. Look at me, please?"

Hesitantly, Tsukasa raised his eyes to meet the priest's gaze.

"Did you mean what you said?" Tomonori asked quietly.

Tsukasa's eyes glazed with tears, but he nodded without flinching. "Yes."

"Then don't cry…" Tomonori cupped his face tenderly.

"Amo te mo, Tsukasa."

~Fin.

* * *

I've always thought of Tomonori as a Latin buff… I mean, Catholics used to give their masses only in Latin. I'd like to think the Bible he reads himself is in Latin… perhaps I am biased, as a Latin student. But as soon as I saw Amou's name, I thought "Love! Amo means love!" and the Catholic thing just fit, so….

Well anyway, the last line, "Amo te mo" is a combination of Latin and Japanese. "Mo" means "also" or "too". I could have used Latin or English there, but I like the way the combination sounds.

"It's called assonance; which unfortunately isn't nearly as dirty as it sounds." [-Captain Jack Sparrow, from the fanfiction "Yo ho ho" which I do not own.]

Reviews, please! ^^


End file.
